Re:When the Therapist is Part of the Patient's Delusional System

Thank you for your response. I studied both articles on the web. I have some familiarity with the work of John Rosen, and Direct Analysis, from which Direct Confrontation is said to come. I have several large ethical problems with this approach. But, I do challenge delusions using Socratic questioning and some CBT methods. Dead ends come to me if in the process I am perceived to be part of the conspiracy against the patient or if the patient perceives himself or herself as being on a mission to enlighten me. Your statement about entering as an equal is a real challenge in these cases. The solution Rosenburg uses is to express outrage at these assumptions and to overpower the patient with the therapists words and emotions. Trying to overpower the patient rubs me wrong because it violates basic principals of persuasion and discipline advanced by Adler. It sets me in a one up position. Expressing outrage would be an interesting tack but I am not sure I could do it authentically. Humor may be helpful if I find a way to emphasize the irony in what is happening. This may be an equalizing factor so long as the patient does not think I am making fun of him. I will also try getting the book you suggested.

Replies:

There are no replies to this message.

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.